This review of 20 intimate partner homicides is intended to be one more component for sustaining knowledge about domestic homicide in Portugal and at the same time to contribute to the development of the Portuguese Risk Assessment Instrument of Domestic Violence (RVD) for the use of the Portuguese Police Forces. Purposes – To verify the most common risk factors in domestic homicide; to confirm if their prevalence could indicate an increased risk of homicide; substantiate why some indicators may be more relevant than others and detect the presence of additional indicators/items; adjustment of risk factors present in the RVD. Method - From a group of 55 homicide case files submitted by the Lisbon District Attorney (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa) 20 homicides were selected, corresponding to 19 case files. These homicides occurred between 2009 and 2012. The 19 cases reviewed have concurred with cases of homicide committed by an intimate partner. The cases were selected as they provided the greatest amount of information. Initially, the analysis focused on in depth reading of the cases files "searching" for behaviours linked to the homicides to better comprehend the facts. Next a risk assessment form (RVD) in construction was applied chronologically to the cases in order to identify the risk markers that arose during the analysis. Simultaneously complementary grids were created. Results – The more prevalent and frequently highlighted risk factors identified were: separation or intention of separation/estrangement; previous domestic violence; jealous/obsessive/controlling behaviour by the offender; escalation of violence in the month prior to the murder, possession or easy access to a firearm, use or threat to use weapons, and threats of suicide or homicide. Other indicators that emerged were the presence of emotional instability on perpetrators (possible depression, suicidal ideation and social isolation).